Airbus Superjumbo Faces Headwinds

By

Daniel Michaels

Updated Jan. 16, 2013 3:22 a.m. ET

When Airbus on Thursday reports robust airplane sales and deliveries for last year, its biggest plane will make only a small appearance in the annual list of new orders, in a sign of continued headwinds facing the A380 superjumbo jetliner.

The Airbus unit of European Aeronautic Defence & Space Co. landed orders for more than 800 new planes last year after cancellations, according to company data through November and subsequent announcements. Although the A380 accounted for only nine of those sales, the tally tops...